Alexandru Şerbănescu
Romanian top aces on one photo,
from left: Constantin Cantacuzino (60), Ion
Dicezare (5), Teodor Greceanu (27), Alexandru
Şerbănescu (47), Ion Milu (45). In the text a
photo of Şerbănescu (in center) just after a
successful sortie, in front of his Bf 109
Ga-4/R6 number 1 yellow (look also at profile
bottom).
Alexandru
Şerbănescu is one of the leading aces of
Aeronautica Regală Romānă (ARR - Romanian Royal
Aeronautics) in WWII. He was born in 1912. In
1933 he graduates the Infantry Officer School
and is assigned to the 3rd Mountain Battalion,
near Brasov. He is very appreciated by his
superiors and in 1938 he is promoted to the rank
of lieutenant. After the School Aerial Observers
in 1939 he is admitted in the School of Air
Force Officers. After the beginning of "Barbarossa",
Şerbănescu requested a transfer to the Fighter
Pilot School near Roşiorii de Vede.
On 22 August 1942 he is assigned to the 7th
Fighter Group (Grupul 7 Vānatoare), equipped
with Me-109 E, and he flies his first war
mission on 2 September 1942. His first kill was
a Yak on 17 September and the second came on 25
September.
He distinguished himself during the retreat from
Stalingrad's airfields in a dramatic battle.
When Soviets broke the German and Romanian
defence in November 1942 and appeared near the
Karpovka airfield, where the 7th FG was
stationed, Şerbănescu organized very well the
defence of the airbase. His infantry experience
was in that case very useful. Şerbănescu had
only limited resources: FLAK guns, aircraft guns
and a company of soldiers. The Romanian
camouflaged positions and well leaded defence
stopped Russian tank attacks on the airfield
during next the 2 days! Using the Bf 109's 20 mm
guns like antitank weapons on the ground was a
unique case of airplane-tank duel (the
airplane�s tail was lifted on barrels)!
On 23 November
1942 the Romanians evacuated 16 Bf 109E (3 of
them were lost because they had to take off
under fire and were hit). Each airplane carried
two or three people. Şerbănescu had two
mechanics as passengers. They left behind many
of the soldiers that kept fighting to the last
minute and important quantities of ammo (1785
bombs, 341500x7.92 mm shells and 6860x20 mm
shells). Next they were stationed on the
Morozovskaya and Tazinskaya airfields. Soon the
Romanians were forced again to escape as the
Soviet forces pushed back the Axis armies, but
this time it wasn't in such dramatic
conditions...
He shot down a Hurricane on 20 January near
Kudrief.
At the end of
February, the Mixed Group (elements of the 5th
Bomber Group and of the 7th Fighter Group) under
the command of lt. cmdr. Nicolae Losifescu was
in a poor state. The men and the equipment were
in badly need of rest. It was retreated in
Romania to be rebuilt. On 6 March 1943,
Alexandru Şerbănescu was promoted to captain.
The Group received the new Me-109 "Gustav",
which was an excellent airplane. On 29 March,
the group was assigned to the JG 3 "Udet" and
Cpt. av. Şerbănescu was given the command of the
57th Squadron. Until 1st June, when the Group
was reassigned to the Romanian Air Corps,
Şerbănescu got another 4 airplanes (2xYak-7s,
2xLa-5s).
On 26 June, Şerbănescu and other 3 comrades were
patrolling in the Kirpiscevo-Rumianki sector.
They were attacked by 20-22 Spitfires. In the
following dogfight, Cpt. av. Şerbănescu, Adj.
Mucenica and Adj. Chirvăsăuţă got one each. Adj.
av. Laurenţiu Cătană went to the ground together
with the Soviet he had clashed with, after
shooting down another two Spitfires. He was
thought dead, but after the war he returned. He
managed to jump, but landed in the Soviet lines
and was captured.
On 13 July, the best Romanian wing at that time
(Şerbănescu, Milu and Mucenica) was protecting a
Romanian Ju-88 formation. They were attacked by
10 Soviet fighters. Şerbănescu fired upon a
Russian that was on Milu's tail, but he got
away. Then another one suddenly appeared in
front of him and he shot it down. He then found
the first plane he attacked and this time he
didn't miss.
On 17 and 18
July, Cpt. av. Şerbănescu shot down 6 planes. On
18, he was on patrol with other 3 airplanes in
the Kuibashev area. After 5-6 min they saw about
10-12 Soviet fighters and engaged them. It
didn't take long and two Yak-1s were going down
in flames, both claimed by Şerbănescu. He took
off on another patrol in the same area. They
soon found a large formation of Il-2s (18-20)
escorted by 10-12 fighters. He and his wingman,
Adj. Mucenica, attacked the Sturmoviks, while
the others protected them. Şerbănescu fired
three times and finally the Soviet went down,
right in front the the positions he was supposed
to attack. The enemy fighters forced Alecu (as
Constantin Cantacuzino called him) to defend
himself. Even so he managed to attack another
Il-2, which left a trail of smoke behind it as
it was heading to base.
He continued to shoot planes down in August
(10). Thus he was rewarded the Iron Cross, 1st
class on 17 August. On 20 August he was wounded
in the face, but superficially, and on 30 August
he received the "Mihai Viteazul" Order (the
highest Romanian military honour) together with
Cpt. av. Constantin Cantacuzino, Lt. av. Teodor
Greceanu, Slt. Ion Dicezare and Of. echip. Ioan
Milu. They were the best Romanian fighter
pilots, which by that date had shot down more
than 100 Soviet planes.
On 10 October, Cpt. av. Alexandru Şerbănescu was
on patrol with other 3 pilots (Muresan, Nicoară
and Neacsu) after they had escorted some Ju-88s.
They spotted Il-2s and were getting ready to
jump them, when they were them selves surprised
by Soviet fighters. Muresan was the first shot
down. Nicoară "landed" in the Azov Sea (which is
very shallow and he simply stood on his airplane
and the water was only at his waist; he was
later picked up by a German boat). Şerbănescu,
in flames and with five Soviets on his tail,
managed to reach the lines of the Romanian 4th
Mountain Division and crash landed. That evening
he was already at the 7th FG's airfield. The
Soviet radio announced that the 7th FG was
destroyed. The second day, a Romanian pilot
managed to get through to a Soviet airbase and
drop a message that invited them to see that the
Group was still there. None showed up!
On 23 October, the 9th FG replaced the tired 7th
FG, but Şerbănescu and the other aces remained.
He kept fighting and shooting down airplanes and
on 13 February 1944 he was named the Group's
commander. The Soviets were now in Romania and
had already occupied northern Bessarabia and
Moldavia, but they were stopped after fierce
fighting, in which the pilots had a very
important role. On 22 May, after escorting 12
bombers, Şerbănescu came to the aid of Cpt. av.
Popescu-Ciocănel and his wingmen, which were
under attack by Yaks and Aircobras. He managed
to shoot down 2xP-39s and reached the number of
40 victories.
On 11 June, Şerbănescu shot down his first
American airplane: a B-17. It was followed by 2
Mustangs (31 July and 11 August).
Bf 109 E used in Grupul 7 Vanatoare on the
Eastern Front
On 26 July
1944, 16xBf 109 of the 9th FG (Şerbănescu and
Cantacuzino were at Bucharest) encountered a
great formation of 98 American aircraft,
returning from Russian airfields. In aerial
combat the Romanians destroyed 11xP-38s, but
lost 7 pilots. This loss was double heavy,
because between them were Cpt.av. Popescu (12
victories) and Adj. Mucenica (24 victories),
which was wounded and spent the rest of the war
in hospitals. In combat, on 8 August 1944, was
shot down another great ace: Ion Milu (45
victories). He was also wounded and spent a lot
of time away from the front.
Ten days later, five days before the armistice
with the Allies, on 18 August 1944, Alexandru
Şerbănescu took off for his last mission. In
that day he and his 12 wingmen, together with 12
other planes from the 7th FG, attacked a swarm
of Mustangs and Lightnings. When Lt. Dobran and
Adj. Dārjan tried to clear his tail it was to
late. His last words were: "I'm going down..."
Şerbănescu died in the line of duty like a real
hero. He had 47 confirmed victories and 8
probable. He is on the second position after
prince Constantin Cantacuzino (60 victories).
After the death of Şerbănescu, all the fighters
were retreated in front of the Americans until a
new strategy will be adopted. Five days later,
on 23 August 1944, Romania signed the armistice
with the Allies.
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